Explore Strategic Perspectives
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Oversight & The Board
Omega316 is a values-driven consulting company
We’re committed to meaningful value creation at the intersection of technology strategy, cyber risk, and leadership advisory. We serve organizations, and their boards of directors.
Insights & Client Stories
Board Leadership
Insight: The board leadership challenge - “Walking a tight rope, blind folded.” What board leaders can do to navigate board challenges and boost effectiveness
IT Modernization
Client Story: Empowering health services organization with modern Information technology and cyber capabilities
Board Training
Client Story: Enhancing the effectiveness of the board’s cyber oversight and governance practices
Cyber Risk Strategy
Client Story: Global educational institution redesigns cyber risk strategy as it expands its learning experience to students around the world
Meaningful Value
There’s value in helping our client organizations overcome their technology and cyber challenges. There’s value in helping them answer and simplify some complex questions; what technology capabilities do we need? What risks should we be aware of and how do we mitigate them? What will it actually take to get the technology capabilities functioning and operating well given where we are?
However, we believe these questions and their corresponding answers lack meaningful context. They often fail to consider; so what, now what and then what questions. These added questions help align effective answers with the strategic direction of the organization. They offer the opportunity to provide our clients with meaningful value; value that creates a positive impact on the business strategy and purposefully creates benefits in the lives of our clients’ stakeholders. Meaningful value aligns the what and how with why it matters as well as what value dimensions matter most, now and in the future.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Business Integration Strategy
Most, if not all, of an organization’s business activities can benefit from a thoughtful integration of AI capabilities. Understanding which business activities and what AI capabilities will generate the most value with the minimum risks can be challenging. The AI advisory guide below outlines where to start and key strategy considerations to be successful.
A Proactive Perspective On Technology Strategy: 4 Critical Dimensions
Our clients, both senior executives and boards, engage us to help with seemingly simple and sometimes complex technology challenges. Some of these challenges derive from the impact of technology across four critical elements or dimensions of organizational performance. We believe that maintaining a proactive perspective on these elements can increase the chances for enduring success of technology strategies.
1. Strategy
Does the business strategy align with the technology trends driving changes in customer behavior and other macro trends?
Does the organization’s current technology and cyber strategy align with the business strategy?
These are the two defining questions of strategic significance in the context of cyber and technology. The first question is often overlooked in favor of the second one but both are crucial questions to consider for most organizations
2. Risk
How resilient is the business/organization to cyber risks and technology failures?
What business risks should we be taking but are not, because of the fear of cyber?
Our clients often tell us “we don’t know what we don’t know. So, how should we approach this complex challenge?” The questions above will prove very helpful for business leaders that take the time to address them.
3. Talent
How will different roles evolve and change in the next 2-3yrs and what investments are required now in existing talent?
Who are the next generation of leaders in this domain? What type of leadership competencies and skills will be required?
Extending the above questions to critical service providers and vendors/partners is also beneficial. Talent changes of your different service providers (especially MSPs) can have an impact on your organization’s talent strategy
4. Culture
What actions should be considered to reduce the resistance to technology changes?
How can key stakeholders be galvanized to speak up about latent or emerging problems?
Culture is one of those unseen forces that can make or break a technology strategy. We have experienced multiple situations where the culture of the organization works against the very objectives that leaders are trying to achieve.
Cyber Risk Oversight & Governance Guidance For Board Directors
Often times, it’s difficult for board directors to figure out what cyber oversight elements matter most amid the growing complexity of issues they have to deal with. The increasing demands on their time adds to the prioritization challenge. Knowing the right questions to ask can make a big difference for board directors when it comes to cyber risk oversight. And just as important, is knowing what a good or bad response looks like. We offer some guidance for board directors in the guide below
The Chief Executive’s Role In Technology & Cyber Strategy: Guiding Principles
Be Transformed by the renewing of your mind
As a CEO, how important is technology to the future of your organization? Should you be taking a more active role when it comes to technology strategy? Some of the challenges our clients run into can be overcome by proactive engagement by the CEO. These challenges include repeated IT project delays, technical debt, project prioritization, budget overruns, cultural resistance to change and speed to value. The question every CEO should be asking is not just what is technology going to do for the organization but more importantly, what will it help the organization become in the future. It’s not just what value are we getting from technology but who and what are we becoming.
Adopt A Mindset Shift
The shift in mindset, from seeing IT as a cost center to seeing IT as a strategic asset, is required for CEOs that want to unlock the value of technology for their organizations
This is a very difficult shift to make and many CEOs struggle with it. However, those that make the shift, position their organizations for future and strategic growth opportunities. This mindset shift helps overcome the challenges of technical debt, cultural resistance and speed to value
Set & Align Expectations
Set the right expectation for yourself about how involved you’ll be. If you’ve shifted to the strategic-asset mindset of IT, then you don’t want to set expectations of a long-distance relationship with IT.
Proactively work with the CIO, MSP and other ecosystem partners to align on business outcomes, investment horizons and relevant KPIs. Galvanize the senior leaders and the organization around the value of technology
Get The “Right” People
The right people are high performing business leaders (not just CIO or tech leaders) that are fluent in tech and can grow as fast as the industry and tech innovations, if not faster.
These leaders prioritize continuous learning and development and are likely to grow themselves and the organization faster than the industry. These leaders are better positioned to navigate through the disruptive risks of technology innovations
